Yeast Harvesting

These little beasts do all the hard work. Share how to keep 'em happy and working hard.

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Reaverman
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Yeast Harvesting

Post by Reaverman »

Hello all!

Recently I ran five generations of UJSSM, using Still Spirits Distillers Whisky yeast. I've frozen all the backset for a future project, and decided to harvest the the yeast to two jars (2ltr clasps). Making sure I have mixed bottled water with each jar, and then cold crashing them in my fridge for the last four days.At the moment, both jars have about 2/3rds of a litre of sediment and bot jars need a periodic venting to release gasses. So I know there is live yeast at work, and I can see the periodic plume from the bed. I can even see gas pockets forming in the bed.

My problem is that I cannot see a dividing layer between the trub, and the yeast cake. It all looks the same, creamy (similar to Baileys) colour. That seems a heck of a lot of yeast, should I try removing the liquid and topping up with fresh, and agitating again to see if it seperates?

I'm half inclined to take some, and see if I can bake a loaf of bread with it. Just to see how active the yeast is!
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jonnys_spirit
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Re: Yeast Harvesting

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Yeah those are good yeasties in that trub. It's probably a mix of active yeasties as well as deceased yeasties in the trub slurry... Once cold crashed decant the water off and wash a couple more times the same way... This will reduce alcohol and sugars in the slurry. If you then keep it in the fridge it should go dormant and remain viable for maybe up to a year in the fridge... Use 1/4-1/2 cip to make a new starter for next batch. Probably good for bread too!

Cheers,
jonny
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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Demy
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Re: Yeast Harvesting

Post by Demy »

I don't think a yeast washing is needed used to ferment something that will be distilled .... just collect the trub from bottom of a completely finished fermentation.
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dieselduo
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Re: Yeast Harvesting

Post by dieselduo »

With ujssm why not just start a new gen on top of the yeast cake
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Reaverman
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Re: Yeast Harvesting

Post by Reaverman »

dieselduo wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 9:11 am With ujssm why not just start a new gen on top of the yeast cake
I normall do, but at the time I was trying to finish it off at that time and store the yeast. I made a loaf of bread with the gathered yeast, and it turned out good. I've now decided to start another batch, using the harvested yeast, and it's going like the clappers :D
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